


The Cure for Summer

by ImJaebabie



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Confessions, Fluff, Just Add Kittens, Kissing, M/M, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-17 14:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18100226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImJaebabie/pseuds/ImJaebabie
Summary: Despite popular belief, Summer isn’t everyone’s favorite season.





	The Cure for Summer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [excelgesis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/excelgesis/gifts).



> i wrote this for Chel bc she deserves all the markhyuck cuteness n to be happy. <33
> 
> based on her picks:  
> 1\. puppies or [kittens]  
> 2\. established relationship or [first confession]  
> 3\. soft or [sassy]  
> 4\. [glasses] or contacts  
> 5\. [summer] or winter

Most people get a little sad near the end of Fall, when the weather goes from colorful foliage and fun, spooky holidays to bleak skies and cutting winds and inconvenient snow drifts.   
  
But not Mark. For some reason, it’s always Summer that gets him. In between the spiking heat waves and humid, sticky weather, he just gets a little...down, sometimes. It started not long after moving from Canada. Maybe he misses the calming snowflakes and cold-bright night skies full of stars, but either way, sometimes, Summer just gets him in a mood.   
  
He’s found something of a cure recently, though. It comes in the form of a boy with skin so tan it makes caramel jealous, with a smile so shiny he thinks it’s a waste outside toothpaste advertisements. When Donghyuck moved from Jeju and appeared at their school, Mark found it hard to look at anyone else.   
  
By August, Mark has been powering through his moody days like a champ, he thinks, until his birthday passes and suddenly he just… can’t. Something about this one, when it’s been storming for a week and every time he goes outside his glasses get covered in condensation, and the pool is closed, and they stop selling his favorite brand of popsicle at the gas station, and, most of all, Donghyuck’s family has been gone on vacation taking him with them, just makes Mark snap. Not even Jeno calling him for a midnight movie can pull him out of his room, the aircon at full blast and buried under every blanket he owns.   
  
Donghyuck shows up on Saturday morning, in the door of Mark’s bedroom like a golden, glowing angel and Mark’s heart does a weird flip.   
  
“Dammit. Jeno was right,” is the first thing he says.   
  
Mark adjusts his glasses, hyper conscious of the state his hair is in. “About what?”   
  
“The Elvis Presley death conspiracy, what do you think, genius? How long have you been moping?”   
  
“I’m not moping. I’m...”   
  
Donghyuck rolls his eyes. “Doesn’t matter. Get your shoes on, I’m taking you somewhere.”   
  
Donghyuck’s tone does not leave room for arguments and although Mark’s phone tells him it’s hot as motherfuck outside he complies anyway and follows the glowing boy all the way to the bus stop. He uses the ride to ponder, very distractedly, whether this qualifies as some kind of date, and if Donghyuck’s hand keeps bumping his knee on purpose, but tries to act casual by asking about his vacation and attempting wheedle out where they’re going.   
  
“You’ll see when we get there,” is the only answer he gets, aside from stories about the beach.   
  
He does see when they get there, holding his glasses so they don’t fall off his slightly sweating nose as he looks up at the kitten cafe.   
  
“Seriously?” He asks.   
  
Donghyuck gives him a look. “As the grave. Half an hour with kittens and you cannot tell me you’re still living the bummer life. I’ll put money on it.” He smiles that bright grin that gives Mark the hiccups every other time and grabs his hand, moist though it is from the heat, and drags Mark inside.   
  
Mark can’t deny Donghyuck has a point. While on the whole the concept might be a certain percentage more effective on Jeno—and half wonders if it was the other boy’s suggestion in the first place—there’s something about a bunch of teeny baby cats running around that starts to warm up his heart a bit. Finishing the milk tea that Donghyuck buys him in record time, Mark opts for sitting in the middle of the cushioned area and picking up any kitten he can get his hands on, petting them and complaining to them about the weather.   
  
Donghyuck plops down next to him not much later. “Feeling better yet?”   
  
“A bit, yeah,” Mark starts, “but still...”   
  
“What?”   
  
“Never mind. It’s really stupid.”   
  
Donghyuck slurps strawberry smoothie through his straw, eyebrows raised. “Bet it ain’t.”   
  
“Fine,” sighs Mark, “none of the kittens… I keep picking them up but they won’t… they’re not interested in me. They just want to run around and play. Not a single one has licked me even once.”   
  
Donghyuck stares at him.   
  
“You’re telling me _now_ you’re bummed that none of these kittens has kissed you.”   
  
The red in Mark’s face has nothing to do with the heat, and everything to do with Donghyuck’s choice of wording. “That’s not how I put it—“   
  
“Ok Canada, but it’s what you meant. Don’t worry, we’ll find one that wants you.”   
  
“Hyuck no—“   
  
But he can’t be stopped. Although the other patrons stare at them with mixed looks, Donghyuck doesn’t rest until he’s brought every cat in the cafe to Mark and tested it. Unfortunately, Mark isn’t wrong, and eventually, they have to leave.   
  
Donghyuck pouts heavily as they walk back toward the bus stop. It’s both adorable and heart breaking and Mark can’t really take it.   
  
“Hyuck it’s fine, that was fun. I really feel a bit better,” he assures.   
  
“No, you’re supposed to be giddy with delight. Not ‘a bit better.’ I’m not satisfied.”   
  
“Well, unless you know of an affectionate kitten available and willing to kiss me, I think you did the best you could.”   
  
They walk a bit further, Mark watching the sidewalk and scuffing his shoes, until there comes a sound from beside him that makes his shoulders suddenly tense and his gaze shoot up.   
  
“Did you just...” He almost doesn’t dare ask, his voice in a disbelieving whisper. “Did you...meow? Just now?”   
  
Donghyuck stares him down, even as a rosy blush crawls over his cheeks. He bites his lip, then does it again. An honest to god, high-pitched meow.   
  
Mark is frozen despite the heat. He can’t breathe. Part of him wants to look around the park they’re passing through in hopes of seeing a stray cat to disprove this, but he can’t deny that Donghyuck has literally just meowed at him.   
  
“What the hell?”   
  
Blush only growing, Donghyuck rolls his eyes. “Don’t think this isn’t embarrassing for me. You said if I knew of… an available… _fuck_ , a k-kitten who wanted to kiss you… _god_ Mark can you just take the hint or do I have to keep this up?”   
  
Mark just blinks, mouth hanging slightly open.   
  
Donghyuck steps into Mark’s bubble and brings his hands up by his face, curled like paws. “Meow?” He’s close enough Mark can hear it even though it’s nearly a whisper, can hear the question in it.   
  
He nods dumbly.   
  
When Donghyuck kisses him, it tastes like strawberry smoothie. There’s no ticklish whiskers and when Mark gasps in stupid surprise, Donghyuck takes advantage of it, and his tongue has no roughness to it. Everything about his kiss is soft and warm.   
  
He pulls back, looking a little dazed. “Will that suffice for you, Canada?” Donghyuck asks.   
  
Mark can’t really feel his own face, but he nods. Donghyuck holds his hand all the way to the bus stop and doesn’t let go.   
  
A block from Mark’s stop, he gets his mind in order and turns to Donghyuck.   
  
“Hey, um, I sort of don’t like Summer much,” he says, knowing it doesn’t really explain, “but I think I...I think I really like you.”   
  
Donghyuck smiles like the sun, and when he kisses Mark quickly again once they reach his stop he doesn’t meow at all.   
  
Maybe, Mark thinks, maybe Summer might not be so bad.

**Author's Note:**

> i have no idea if people experience anything like symptoms of seasonal affective disorder in summer or not, but for anyone feeling down for ANY reason i hope this cheers u up a little!!  
> (but mostly Chel. ily.)  
> <33
> 
> [cc](https://curiouscat.me/ImJaeBabie)   
> || [twt](https://twitter.com/imjaebabie?lang=en)   
> 


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